Production schedule change assistance apparatus, production schedule change assistance method, program therefor, and production management system

Abstract

A schedule change apparatus includes a change model creation section, a schedule creation section, a schedule change evaluation indicator creation section, a production simulator, and a control section. The change model creation section creates a change model estimating a portion of the schedule to be changed. The schedule creation section uses the schedule change model to generate proposed schedule changes and generate a proposed alternative schedule. The schedule change evaluation section generates a schedule change evaluation indicator indicating a best value for a proposed schedule change. The production simulator implements simulation with a simulation condition changed on a basis of schedule execution status information and equipment operation status information for the day and calculates values of the schedule change evaluation indicator for the proposed alternative schedule candidate group on a basis of the schedule change evaluation indicator already learned. The control section outputs a proposed schedule change.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A production schedule change assistance apparatus for changing a production schedule in response to a change in order information, the production schedule change assistance apparatus comprising:
 a schedule change model creation section configured to create, in a learning phase, from past schedule change information, a schedule change model estimating a portion of the schedule to be changed in response to an order change and a content of the change;   a schedule creation section configured to
 use, in the learning phase, the schedule change model to generate a group of proposed schedule changes unselected at a time of past implementation of schedule changes, and 
 use, in an operation phase, the schedule change model already learned, to generate a proposed alternative schedule candidate group for the order change; 
   a schedule change evaluation indicator creation section configured to generate, in the learning phase, a schedule change evaluation indicator indicating a best value for a proposed schedule change implemented at a time of past schedule change compared to proposed schedule changes unselected at the time of past schedule change;   a production simulator configured to implement, in the operation phase, simulation with a simulation condition changed on a basis of schedule execution status information and equipment operation status information for the day and calculate values of the schedule change evaluation indicator for the proposed alternative schedule candidate group on a basis of the schedule change evaluation indicator already learned; and   a control section configured to output, as a latest production schedule, a proposed schedule change included in the proposed alternative schedule candidate group and for which the schedule change evaluation indicator indicates the best value.   
     
     
         2 . The production schedule change assistance apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communication section configured to receive the schedule execution status information and the equipment operation status information.   
     
     
         3 . The production schedule change assistance apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user interface configured to display the latest production schedule selected and the schedule change evaluation indicator for the latest production schedule.   
     
     
         4 . The production schedule change assistance apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the user interface receives an input of an evaluation indicator group.   
     
     
         5 . The production schedule change assistance apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the schedule change evaluation indicator is a weighted sum of evaluation indicators of the evaluation indicator group.   
     
     
         6 . A production schedule change assistance method for changing a production schedule in response to a change in order information, the production schedule change assistance method comprising:
 a step of a control section rewriting a simulation condition on a basis of schedule execution status information and equipment operation status information;   a step of a schedule creation section creating a proposed alternative schedule candidate group from an original production schedule and a schedule change model already learned;   a step of a production simulator implementing simulation for the proposed alternative schedule candidate group and outputting, on a basis of a schedule change evaluation indicator already learned, values of the schedule change evaluation indicator for respective alternative schedule candidates of the proposed alternative schedule candidate group; and   a step of the control section selecting an alternative schedule candidate for which the schedule change evaluation indicator indicates a best value, from the proposed alternative schedule candidate group, as a latest production schedule.   
     
     
         7 . The production schedule change assistance method according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a step of a user interface displaying the latest production schedule selected and the schedule change evaluation indicator for the latest production schedule.   
     
     
         8 . The production schedule change assistance method according to  claim 6 , further comprising, as a learning phase:
 a step of the control section receiving an input of an evaluation indicator group from an operator;   a step of a schedule change model creation section creating a schedule change model from past schedule change information; and   a step of a schedule change evaluation indicator creation section generating a schedule change evaluation indicator from the past schedule change information and the schedule change model.   
     
     
         9 . The production schedule change assistance method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a step of the schedule creation section creating a group of unselected proposed alternative schedule candidates by using the past schedule change information and the schedule change model; and   a step of the production simulator calculating values of the evaluation indicator group for a proposed schedule change implemented in past and the group of unselected proposed alternative schedule candidates, wherein   the schedule change evaluation indicator is a weighted sum of evaluation indicators of the evaluation indicator group.   
     
     
         10 . The production schedule change assistance method according to  claim 8 , wherein
 machine learning is used in the step of creating the schedule change model from the past schedule change information.   
     
     
         11 . A program causing a computer to execute a production schedule change assistance method for changing a production schedule in response to a change in order information, the program causing the computer to execute:
 a step of rewriting a simulation condition on a basis of schedule execution status information and equipment operation status information;   a step of creating a proposed alternative schedule candidate group from an original production schedule and a schedule change model already learned;   a step of implementing simulation for the proposed alternative schedule candidate group and outputting, on a basis of a schedule change evaluation indicator already learned, values of the schedule change evaluation indicator for respective alternative schedule candidates of the proposed alternative schedule candidate group; and   a step of selecting an alternative schedule candidate for which the schedule change evaluation indicator indicates a best value, from the proposed alternative schedule candidate group, as a latest production schedule.   
     
     
         12 . The program according to  claim 11 , further causing the computer to execute, as a learning phase:
 a step of receiving an input of an evaluation indicator group from an operator;   a step of creating a schedule change model from past schedule change information; and   a step of generating a schedule change evaluation indicator from the past schedule change information and the schedule change model.   
     
     
         13 . The program according to  claim 12 , further causing the computer to execute:
 a step of creating a group of unselected proposed alternative schedule candidates by using the past schedule change information and the schedule change model; and   a step of calculating values of the evaluation indicator group for a proposed schedule change implemented in past and the group of unselected proposed alternative schedule candidates, wherein   the schedule change evaluation indicator is a weighted sum of evaluation indicators of the evaluation indicator group.   
     
     
         14 . A production management system comprising:
 an order information management system configured to output order information;   the production schedule change assistance apparatus according to  claim 1  configured to receive the order information from the order information management system; and   a production schedule management apparatus configured to receive an updated production schedule from the production schedule change assistance apparatus, and transmit a step control output to each step control apparatus.   
     
     
         15 . The production management system according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an equipment operation status management apparatus configured to receive operation status information for each piece of step equipment, and transmit the operation status information to the production schedule change assistance apparatus, wherein   the production schedule management apparatus receives schedule execution status information for each piece of step equipment, and transmits the schedule execution status information to the production schedule change assistance apparatus.